The Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. Flight Operations department has reduced the time it takes to receive a reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) Letter of Authorization (LOA) from two weeks to just a few days, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The FAA said Gulfstream Flight Ops is the first Part 91 operator to use the Web-Based Operators Safety System (WebOPSS) to process FAA-required operations documents, saving time for customers and the company.
WebOPSS is the Internet platform for OPSS, an automated system that distributes standardized regulatory and policy requirements to the aviation community and collects and maintains operating authorizations for the FAA.  Typical WebOPSS transactions involve the processing of documents such as an LOA or Master Minimum Equipment List (MMEL).
Gulfstream first used WebOPSS for an RVSM LOA for a Gulfstream G450 demonstrator.  Without the RVSM LOA, the airplane would have been restricted from flying above FL290.  Gulfstream has since used WebOPSS to process an RVSM LOA for a previously owned aircraft.  LOAs are required by the FAA before an aircraft’s RVSM capabilities can be demonstrated to customers.  Usually, the LOA paperwork is sent back and forth, from operator to the FAA, through the mail.
The entire process can take weeks. “The new system is a tremendous time savings for both parties — the FAA and Gulfstream,” said Randy Gaston, vice president, Flight Operations, Gulfstream.
“Our fleet changes regularly, so this new process will enable us to use the full operating envelope without being limited by lack of RVSM approval.” Besides streamlining the approval process, the benefits of WebOPSS include the ability to process authorizations from any location with Internet access and quick dissemination of FAA policies to operator and inspector communities.
Digital signatures streamline the process for both the FAA and the operator.

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